Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to systems and methods for positioning and securing seats within a cabin of a vehicle, and, more particularly, to seat fitting assemblies that are configured to position and secure seats within a cabin of a vehicle.
Commercial aircraft typically include numerous rows of seats securely fixed in position within an interior cabin. A first class section, a business class section, and an economy class section may be within the interior cabin. Each section of the aircraft may have rows of seats spaced apart from one another. The rows of the first class section may be spaced apart from each other a first distance. For example, first and second rows of seats within the first class section may be separated by the first distance. Similarly, the rows of the business class section may be spaced apart from each other a second distance, which may be less than the first distance. The rows of the economy class section may be spaced apart from each other a third distance, which may be less than the second distance.
As can be appreciated, aircraft operators seek to maximize seating capacity within a limited cabin space. As seating capacity increases, revenue increases. At the same time, however, passenger comfort is a consideration that is balanced against increased seating capacity. If rows of seats are positioned closer to one another in an attempt to add rows of seats within a cabin, the rows may be too close to comfortably seat at least some passengers (such as those that exceed a particular height). Therefore, aircraft operators understand that there are limits with respect to the distances between adjacent rows of seats.
Individual seats within an aircraft are secured to seat tracks on or within a floor of a cabin. The seat tracks include mounting positions, which may include openings, that are set at a defined pitch or spacing. For example, a typical seat track provides 1″ (one inch) spacing between mounting positions. That is, the distance between adjacent mounting positions is 1″. Typically, a seat track includes mounting positions or attachment points at 1″ intervals so that locations of particular payloads are associated with integer station numbers within the cabin of the aircraft. In this manner, seat pitch may be expressed as an integer.
However, known seat tracks and seat positioning systems and methods are inefficient and often limit configuration options within a cabin of an aircraft. For example, a front row of seats at the front or fore area of an aircraft may be positioned no less than a particular distance from a cockpit, front galley, lavatory, or the like. Similarly, a rear row of seats at the rear or aft area of the aircraft may be positioned no less than a particular distance from a rear structure (such as a divider or barrier wall) or feature (such as an aisleway or an exit door) within the cabin, so that there is a sufficient space therebetween to ensure that the rear structure does not deflect into the rear seats (such as during in-flight air turbulence). Because the rows of seats are spaced in 1″ increments, space within the aircraft cabin may be underutilized.